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Author Topic: flying a tomcat?  (Read 475 times)

Offline cav58d

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flying a tomcat?
« on: November 24, 2006, 04:04:45 PM »
Every shot I have seen of the rear seats of tomcats show a stick and throttle.  Was the tomcat able to be controlled from the rear?
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Offline Golfer

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flying a tomcat?
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2006, 04:32:42 PM »
CMDR Rabb did it when the CAG passed out returning to the boat.
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Offline Flyboy

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flying a tomcat?
« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2006, 05:19:56 PM »
every modern 2 seater can be flown from the back seat
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Offline cav58d

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flying a tomcat?
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2006, 05:27:55 PM »
oh cool...So do the RIO's and other backseaters get some form of actual pilot training, or is it done when they get to the fleet?

and in reply to golfer, thats pretty crazy. I've never sat in the back seat of a tomcat, but from all the pics I have seen it doesnt look like the forward visibility is good at all.  Can you post some more detail about the story?
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Offline cav58d

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flying a tomcat?
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2006, 05:29:03 PM »
wait a second you jerk....CMDR Rabb is from JAG!  LMFAO
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Offline Gryffin

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flying a tomcat?
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2006, 05:36:44 PM »
The tomcat cannot be flown from the back seat. The stick the RIO has is for controlling the radar.
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Offline Widewing

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flying a tomcat?
« Reply #6 on: November 24, 2006, 06:28:44 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Flyboy
every modern 2 seater can be flown from the back seat


Not the F-14 or the F-4J it replaced.



The stick seen is for the RIO to aim the radar array (below)



My regards,

Widewing
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My regards,

Widewing

YGBSM. Retired Member of Aces High Trainer Corps, Past President of the DFC, retired from flying as Tredlite.

storch

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Re: flying a tomcat?
« Reply #7 on: November 24, 2006, 07:31:22 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by cav58d
Every shot I have seen of the rear seats of tomcats show a stick and throttle.  Was the tomcat able to be controlled from the rear?
I think you can but only if you lift their tails up.  ask hub for instructions he does it all the time.
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Offline DiabloTX

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Re: flying a tomcat?
« Reply #8 on: November 24, 2006, 07:39:17 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by cav58d
Every shot I have seen of the rear seats of tomcats show a stick and throttle.  Was the tomcat able to be controlled from the rear?


Also, if the pilot's RIO also happened to be his wife.





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Offline Rolex

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flying a tomcat?
« Reply #9 on: November 24, 2006, 09:06:16 PM »
Naval Flight Officers (NFO) go through same training in Pensacola up to, but not including solo flight. That's about 18 hours of dual time. Even if they were flyable from rear seat, it would not be done. It's hard enough trying to convince a RIO to stay with the plane when a warning light or two come on... ;)
« Last Edit: November 24, 2006, 09:10:32 PM by Rolex »
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Offline dmf

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flying a tomcat?
« Reply #10 on: November 24, 2006, 09:34:20 PM »
Well to avoid any further confusion or speculation, heres a real good idea, ask a F-14 pilot, or since they all fly F-18 super hornets now, ask a former F-14 pilot.
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Offline eagl

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flying a tomcat?
« Reply #11 on: November 24, 2006, 10:14:20 PM »
This is one big diff of opinion between USN and USAF.  USN doesn't give their backseaters flight controls, USAF does.  It almost never causes problems in the USAF, and there are documented cases where a WSO or other backseater has saved the aircraft/crew.

But the USN sees it differently, so RIO doesn't get flight controls.
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Offline Nilsen

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flying a tomcat?
« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2006, 12:44:06 AM »
Well....  you know what they say about naval aviators and more than one stick in confined spaces.

Its just not a good idea.
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Offline Mace2004

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flying a tomcat?
« Reply #13 on: November 25, 2006, 01:08:30 AM »
No the F-14 can't be flown from the back seat.  Also, it cannot be flow with only the pilot.  As far as landing from the back seat is concerned, forward visibility isn't that bad and it would be possible on land but there is no way to do it on the boat.  Landing on a 2-mile long, 300ft wide concrete slab is a piece of cake, the landing area on a CV is a little smaller and tends to move.  As far as USAF backseaters having saved the airplane or crew, well, let's just say it's possible.  Looking at it from a different perspective there are many, many documented examples of RIOs saving both themselves and their pilots with a timely ejection decision.  The pilot's most famous last words are "I got it! I got it!"  A skeptical RIO has saved the day many a time.
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Offline AquaShrimp

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flying a tomcat?
« Reply #14 on: November 25, 2006, 02:31:27 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by eagl
This is one big diff of opinion between USN and USAF.  USN doesn't give their backseaters flight controls, USAF does.  It almost never causes problems in the USAF, and there are documented cases where a WSO or other backseater has saved the aircraft/crew.

But the USN sees it differently, so RIO doesn't get flight controls.


The only time giving the backseater flight controls doesnt cause problems is when the backseater isnt a pilot.  The USN removed dual controls from 2-seat aircraft because of the competition between the two pilots to fly the aircraft.  

My dad was the radio operator on L-4s in the 50s and 60s in the civil air patrol.  While he wasn't a licensed pilot, he got alot of stick time when the pilot would simply hand over the controls on search and rescue missions.  Teamwork like that can be achieved in a non-competitive environment.
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